Worst Bus Lines in America

Using a public bus system to get to your destination offers endless benefits, like decreasing harmful emissions and eliminating the need to spend money on car payments and gas. Sitting on the bus allows individuals to catch up on news or play a game on their phone since they don’t need to pay attention to the road. For the most part, the pros of taking the bus outweigh the cons. But sometimes, just sometimes, things start to happen that may make you question why you continue to ride the bus to work nearly every day. Thankfully, most passengers don’t have to rely on some of the worst bus lines in America. Here are a few examples of these types of bus routes, based on accounts of some truly sad stories, horrifying incidents, and general annoyances.

No. 7 – Rainier Beach to Downtown Seattle (Seattle, Washington)

Opinionated riders and passionate arguments aside, it’s been found that the average number of driver assaults per year on the long-running No. 7 bus route is 15 assaults, which is 10 times the number of driver assaults as the service-wide average. During the first half of 2009, Metro Transit Police responded to more than 40 incidents on the bus route. And in 2005, a teenage couple was harassed and beaten by a group of 30 other teens aboard the No. 7.

31 MACK (Detroit, Michigan)

Back in 2013, new Detroit resident Jeanne Dorado boarded the 31 MACK bus route and asked how far down Woodward Avenue it went. The driver then informed her he did not go far down the street by saying, “…bitch, I’m the motherf*ckin’ Mack bus.” He threatened her, saying he would “take [her] on the ride of [her] life,” refused to let her off the bus, and then when Dorado called 911, he got out of his seat while the bus was still moving and slapped her across the face.

M42 and M50 (New York City)

The M42 runs crosstown on 42nd Street, while the M50 runs crosstown on 50th Street. If you’re trying to get somewhere in a hurry, don’t take these bus lines. At noon on a Wednesday, these routes were recorded to inch along at a rate of 3.4 miles per hour, winning the Straphangers Campaign’s Pokey Award, saved for the slowest bus lines in New York.

Bus Route 66 (Boston, Massachusetts)

Traveling from Harvard Square to Dudley Station via Allston and Brookline Village, the 66 is so hated among riders it has its very own Yelp page. Complaints include passengers who are clueless as to public decency, overcrowding, ill-behaved children, and totally irregular arrival times. In at least one case, a driver didn’t know the route, and when he took a wrong turn, the bus erupted in mass fury.

No. 86 Bus (Cleveland, Ohio)

Cleveland, Ohio, spends only one percent of its transportation budget on public transit. Perhaps this explains bus stops like the one pictured above. Yes, this is a bus stop along the No. 86 route. It doesn’t look like one. Nor does it indicate in any way where you’re supposed to go once you depart the bus.

217 Bus (Los Angeles, California)

When an 18-year-old woman described as having the mental capacity of a 10-year-old girl boarded the 217 bus back in 2012, she was followed by a man who proceeded to rape her for 10 minutes. The driver and passengers reported they had no idea what was going on at the back of the bus, and the woman was so shocked at what happened she was unsure of what to do. A suspect was later found and then arrested for the crime.

What bus route would you nominate as one of the worst bus lines in America? What is your most terrifying experience riding on a public bus?

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Emily Koo is a writer & musician living in Seattle, WA, by way of Randolph, MA. She’s a huge fan of her dog, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia references, and tea tree oil-infused toothpicks. Learn about her mundane life on Facebook.